To the Welsh Government ministers: Rt Hon Carwyn Jones, Jeremy Miles, Alun Davies, Mark Drakeford, Vaughan Gething, Lesley Griffiths, Ken Skates, Kirsty Williams, Julie James, Dafydd Elis-Thomas, Rebecca Evans, Hannah Blythyn , Eluned Morgan, and Huw Irranca-Davies.
Plaid Ifanc calls on the Welsh Government ministers to issue a declaration clearly stating that they recognise the new independent state of the Catalan Republic.
The Catalan parliament’s declaration of independence was made following the result of the Catalan independence referendum held on the 1st of October 2017.
Over two million votes were successfully counted following the independence referendum. 90% of those whose votes were successfully counted voted ‘Si’ – ‘Yes’ for the creation of an independent Catalan state in the form of a republic.
This referendum was held in accordance with the referendum law passed by the Catalan Generalitat.
On October 28th 2017 the Catalan Parliament, following a plenary session, declared independence, thereby making effective the electoral mandate and democratic will of the people of Catalonia from the October 1st referendum.
The declaration read, “We hereby constitute the Catalan Republic as an independent, sovereign, legal, democratic, socially-conscious state”, and independence was declared with 70 votes in favour, 10 against and 2 abstentions.
The Catalan Parliament also noted some measures for the Catalan government to enforce in order to make the new state effective immediately, including seeking the recognition of the Catalan Republic from “all countries and institutions.”
At the same time, Spanish Council of Ministers agreed to the cessation of the entire Government of Catalonia, to the suspension of Catalan self-government and to the dissolution of the Catalan Parliament. This is a decision that stands directly against the democratic will expressed by Catalan citizens at the polls. It is also a decision that is in direct contravention to Spain’s own constitution which proclaims in its preamble that it will ‘establish an advanced democratic society’. Most importantly, following Catalonia’s declaration of independence, Spain now has no democratic credence or mandate whatsoever in Catalonia or over the Catalan peoples.
The right to self-determination is enshrined in the United Nations Charter. It is recognised as a right of all peoples in the first article common to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (1976).
The first paragraph of this Article states:
‘All peoples have the right to self-determination. By virtue of that right they freely determine their political status and freely pursue their economic, social and cultural development.’
As international citizens we are all obliged to recognise, protect and uphold this decree.
Millions of Catalan citizens cast their vote and exercised their democratic right for self-determination on the 1st of October. They did this in spite of the violence that met them at the ballot boxes at the hands of the Spanish state police. We as an international community must now respect the will of Catalonia’s citizens and see that their democratic rights and desires for independence are rightfully respected and implemented. We can do so by recognising the legitimacy of the Catalan republic and condemning the use of force, imprisonment and violence by the now foreign Spanish state.
The Welsh Government recognising the Catalan Republic is a necessary act which demonstrates that our national government has an unshakable commitment and responsibility for democracy, dialogue, and decency.
This is a matter for ourselves as European and international citizens. We must now support the Catalan people and their Parliament as they seek to fulfil the democratic mandates through dialogue, stability and peace.
Plaid Ifanc therefore calls on the Welsh Government to protect democratic values, the right to self-determination as recognised by the United Nations of which Wales is a part of, and recognise the independent Catalan republic.
Signed by The Plaid Ifanc National Executive Committee:
Emyr Gruffydd
Sioned Treharne
Morgan Bowler-Brown
Rhydian Elis Fitter
Lois Roberts
Fflur Arwel
Polly Manning
Jamie Evans
